Ractopamine residues in meat might reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

The overall prevalence of diabetes in the world has risen substantially in the past several decades, so have complications and mortalities associated with it. Prevention strategies for diabetes thus become an urgent public health need for reducing the burden of diabetes. Ractopamine, a β1/2-adrenergic receptor agonist, has been approved for use in finishing swine, cattle, and turkey in countries where meat exporting brings tremendous economic benefits. This leanness enhancer is recently found to be a full agonist at trace amine-associated receptor 1 also. A thorough literature review was performed to assess possible effects of ractopamine on glucose metabolism. Activating β-adrenoceptor could lead to glucose-lowering effects independent of insulin while activation on trace amine-associated receptor 1 induces an incretin-like signaling on insulin-secreting pancreatic β-cells. Accordingly, it is hypothesized that long-term consuming meat containing ractopamine might lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.